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The Punisher (2004) (Collected Editions)
The Punisher, Vol. 6: Barracuda
Jigsaw, Ma Gnucci, the Russian - Frank Castle's faced some fearsome foes in his day, but none as stone-cold rotten to the bone as the Barracuda. He's big, he's mean, and the last thing on earth you want is to see him smile. Collects Punisher Max #31-36.
144 pages, Paperback
First published December 13, 2006
6 people are currently reading
335 people want to read
About the author
Garth Ennis
2,624 books3,170 followersEnnis began his comic-writing career in 1989 with the series Troubled Souls. Appearing in the short-lived but critically-acclaimed British anthology Crisis and illustrated by McCrea, it told the story of a young, apolitical Protestant man caught up by fate in the violence of the Irish 'Troubles'. It spawned a sequel, For a Few Troubles More, a broad Belfast-based comedy featuring two supporting characters from Troubled Souls, Dougie and Ivor, who would later get their own American comics series, Dicks, from Caliber in 1997, and several follow-ups from Avatar.
Another series for Crisis was True Faith, a religious satire inspired by his schooldays, this time drawn by Warren Pleece. Ennis shortly after began to write for Crisis' parent publication, 2000 AD. He quickly graduated on to the title's flagship character, Judge Dredd, taking over from original creator John Wagner for a period of several years.
Ennis' first work on an American comic came in 1991 when he took over DC Comics's horror title Hellblazer, which he wrote until 1994, and for which he currently holds the title for most issues written. Steve Dillon became the regular artist during the second half of Ennis's run.
Ennis' landmark work to date is the 66-issue epic Preacher, which he co-created with artist Steve Dillon. Running from 1995 to 2000, it was a tale of a preacher with supernatural powers, searching (literally) for God who has abandoned his creation.
While Preacher was running, Ennis began a series set in the DC universe called Hitman. Despite being lower profile than Preacher, Hitman ran for 60 issues (plus specials) from 1996 to 2001, veering wildly from violent action to humour to an examination of male friendship under fire.
Other comic projects Ennis wrote during this time period include Goddess, Bloody Mary, Unknown Soldier, and Pride & Joy, all for DC/Vertigo, as well as origin stories for The Darkness for Image Comics and Shadowman for Valiant Comics.
After the end of Hitman, Ennis was lured to Marvel Comics with the promise from Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada that he could write The Punisher as long as he cared to. Instead of largely comical tone of these issues, he decided to make a much more serious series, re-launched under Marvel's MAX imprint.
In 2001 he briefly returned to UK comics to write the epic Helter Skelter for Judge Dredd.
Other comics Ennis has written include War Story (with various artists) for DC; The Pro for Image Comics; The Authority for Wildstorm; Just a Pilgrim for Black Bull Press, and 303, Chronicles of Wormwood (a six issue mini-series about the Antichrist), and a western comic book, Streets of Glory for Avatar Press.
In 2008 Ennis ended his five-year run on Punisher MAX to debut a new Marvel title, War Is Hell: The First Flight of the Phantom Eagle.
In June 2008, at Wizard World, Philadelphia, Ennis announced several new projects, including a metaseries of war comics called Battlefields from Dynamite made up of mini-series including Night Witches, Dear Billy and Tankies, another Chronicles of Wormwood mini-series and Crossed both at Avatar, a six-issue miniseries about Butcher (from The Boys) and a Punisher project reuniting him with artist Steve Dillon (subsequently specified to be a weekly mini-series entitled Punisher: War Zone, to be released concurrently with the film of the same name).
Taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garth_Ennis
Another series for Crisis was True Faith, a religious satire inspired by his schooldays, this time drawn by Warren Pleece. Ennis shortly after began to write for Crisis' parent publication, 2000 AD. He quickly graduated on to the title's flagship character, Judge Dredd, taking over from original creator John Wagner for a period of several years.
Ennis' first work on an American comic came in 1991 when he took over DC Comics's horror title Hellblazer, which he wrote until 1994, and for which he currently holds the title for most issues written. Steve Dillon became the regular artist during the second half of Ennis's run.
Ennis' landmark work to date is the 66-issue epic Preacher, which he co-created with artist Steve Dillon. Running from 1995 to 2000, it was a tale of a preacher with supernatural powers, searching (literally) for God who has abandoned his creation.
While Preacher was running, Ennis began a series set in the DC universe called Hitman. Despite being lower profile than Preacher, Hitman ran for 60 issues (plus specials) from 1996 to 2001, veering wildly from violent action to humour to an examination of male friendship under fire.
Other comic projects Ennis wrote during this time period include Goddess, Bloody Mary, Unknown Soldier, and Pride & Joy, all for DC/Vertigo, as well as origin stories for The Darkness for Image Comics and Shadowman for Valiant Comics.
After the end of Hitman, Ennis was lured to Marvel Comics with the promise from Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada that he could write The Punisher as long as he cared to. Instead of largely comical tone of these issues, he decided to make a much more serious series, re-launched under Marvel's MAX imprint.
In 2001 he briefly returned to UK comics to write the epic Helter Skelter for Judge Dredd.
Other comics Ennis has written include War Story (with various artists) for DC; The Pro for Image Comics; The Authority for Wildstorm; Just a Pilgrim for Black Bull Press, and 303, Chronicles of Wormwood (a six issue mini-series about the Antichrist), and a western comic book, Streets of Glory for Avatar Press.
In 2008 Ennis ended his five-year run on Punisher MAX to debut a new Marvel title, War Is Hell: The First Flight of the Phantom Eagle.
In June 2008, at Wizard World, Philadelphia, Ennis announced several new projects, including a metaseries of war comics called Battlefields from Dynamite made up of mini-series including Night Witches, Dear Billy and Tankies, another Chronicles of Wormwood mini-series and Crossed both at Avatar, a six-issue miniseries about Butcher (from The Boys) and a Punisher project reuniting him with artist Steve Dillon (subsequently specified to be a weekly mini-series entitled Punisher: War Zone, to be released concurrently with the film of the same name).
Taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garth_Ennis
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
December 6, 2020
The balance in this book was totally off, on the one side we now have criminals that seem realistic and are a relevant problem even now and on the other side we have a crazy black hitman that feeds people to sharks and kills snakes with one arm. To top it all off we are fed with an over sexualised affair among the criminals with a story that is as cliche as it gets with the least amount of Frank Castle “screen Time” so far. I literally started missing him..
For what the story was, the change of the artist was kind of perfect because I can’t imagine something this weird in a dark gritty realistic art style. I liked the try at tackling a topic like this but the execution completely fell through reminding me of some cheesy james bond story.
Barely manages a 3.0 out of 5.0
For what the story was, the change of the artist was kind of perfect because I can’t imagine something this weird in a dark gritty realistic art style. I liked the try at tackling a topic like this but the execution completely fell through reminding me of some cheesy james bond story.
Barely manages a 3.0 out of 5.0
January 13, 2025
Not my favorite of the Punisher Max series. I think it should have been its own paperback, instead of marketing it with the Punisher right on the cover. Frank Castle doesn't even make a brief cameo.
Anyway, it's violent and vulgar in Ennis fashion, and I'm sure it may contain stuff that'll come into the main story later, but overall, nothing special for me. Which is, unfortunately, the case for most spinoffs.
Anyway, it's violent and vulgar in Ennis fashion, and I'm sure it may contain stuff that'll come into the main story later, but overall, nothing special for me. Which is, unfortunately, the case for most spinoffs.
September 18, 2017
En este tomo Ennis deja de lado los temás políticos y sociales de anteriores arcos para traernos una historia de puro rock and roll, muy entretenida, que además nos trae un antagonista que sería recurrente e incluso llegaría a tener miniserie propia.
Bueno, pensándolo bien quizás si haya algo de crítica a cómo funciona el mundo de la bolsa y de la lucha de poder entre altos cargos de grandes empresas, con un caso de fraude de una compañía eléctrica, pero no creo que sea lo más importante del tomo sino un elemento más de la trama
Bueno, pensándolo bien quizás si haya algo de crítica a cómo funciona el mundo de la bolsa y de la lucha de poder entre altos cargos de grandes empresas, con un caso de fraude de una compañía eléctrica, pero no creo que sea lo más importante del tomo sino un elemento más de la trama
March 8, 2019
Score: 3.42 out of 5
Grade: 68% (C+) | Decent
Try reading the title of this book without breaking into song like…
“Wouldn’t youuuuuuu……Barracuda” (BUMDADADUMBUMDADUBUMDADUM) - Heart
…cause you can’t, you need to sing it!
Alright now, to the review!
You would think by now I would have suffered from some sort of Punisher fatigue, but every book feels like its own entity – a new tale following the character we know and love, Frank Castle. Now onto the sixth volume, this one was just okay. It had a real strong start, but about halfway through, lazy writing completely took me out of this one. Here is my review of The Punisher MAX Vol. 6: Barracuda:
The Good:
The first half of the book was great! Although the beginning of the story didn’t have much action, the writing was outstanding and it really held this book together. And when the action goes down, we get all the bloody n’ gruesome content we’ve grown to love in this Punisher MAX series. I also enjoyed the change in narrative where Frank begins to narrate his own story. It changes the perspective on things and I liked that!
Reflecting back on some of the characters, I actually enjoyed Harry a lot more than I thought I would. Sure he’s an old man with a diabolical plan (oh that rhymed), but there were moments when we get to see his softer side. He genuinely cares about Alice and her happiness, and I thought that was sweet. But in the end, it didn’t really matter, the way he went out was rather funny.
The relationship between Dermot and Alice was pretty solid for the most part. I gradually grew to respect Dermot and the fact that he finally stood up for himself. Alice was just kind of there to stir the pot and motivate Dermot to become the man with a plan. There’s also a sequence between the two of them that literally had me LOL-ing. Those kinky kids!
The Bad:
As the title character, Barracuda was nothing more than a f***ed up, crazy dude. Usually Ennis does an amazing job writing and developing his villains. But for the most part, Barracuda was just a psycho with a pain tolerance unlike any I’ve ever seen. I just wanted some more depth to the Barracuda character besides him being so wild.
But I have to admit, it was nice to see Frank take on Barracuda who was a bigger, stronger and slightly crazier version of himself. Frank couldn’t rely on his usual brute force tactics, so when Dermot and Alice trick Barracuda, use brute force to beat him to a pulp, and then toss him overboard, you bet I was scratching my head! There is NO way that the dysfunctional duo of Dermot and Alice could take down Barracuda, especially when we see early on in the book that Frank, the motherf***ing Punisher, nearly dies fighting Barracuda. I just thought it was lazy and slightly ridiculous.
It’s really the second half of the book that just completely fell apart and missed the mark. There’s no other explanation besides a bad case of “lazy writing syndrome”. There were just sequences of dumb, incoherent twists that had very little merit or purpose. For example, without spoiling anything, the sharks killed more people in this book than Frank. We should just swap out the Punisher title and put “Discovery Channel Presents: Shark Week” instead. Although the ending was rushed, it was still fun watching all those sharks have at it…
Conclusion:
Overall, I still enjoyed this book! Sure, the story as a whole is a little weaker, but this is a Punisher tale. Blood. Check! Swearing. Check! Over-the-top action sequences. Double-check! If you like the Punisher, then you’ll like this book. Just be aware that you should leave your brain at the door. The story has some lazy writing which makes the ending feel like a rushed mess.
Grade: 68% (C+) | Decent
Try reading the title of this book without breaking into song like…
“Wouldn’t youuuuuuu……Barracuda” (BUMDADADUMBUMDADUBUMDADUM) - Heart
…cause you can’t, you need to sing it!
Alright now, to the review!
You would think by now I would have suffered from some sort of Punisher fatigue, but every book feels like its own entity – a new tale following the character we know and love, Frank Castle. Now onto the sixth volume, this one was just okay. It had a real strong start, but about halfway through, lazy writing completely took me out of this one. Here is my review of The Punisher MAX Vol. 6: Barracuda:
The Good:
The first half of the book was great! Although the beginning of the story didn’t have much action, the writing was outstanding and it really held this book together. And when the action goes down, we get all the bloody n’ gruesome content we’ve grown to love in this Punisher MAX series. I also enjoyed the change in narrative where Frank begins to narrate his own story. It changes the perspective on things and I liked that!
Reflecting back on some of the characters, I actually enjoyed Harry a lot more than I thought I would. Sure he’s an old man with a diabolical plan (oh that rhymed), but there were moments when we get to see his softer side. He genuinely cares about Alice and her happiness, and I thought that was sweet. But in the end, it didn’t really matter, the way he went out was rather funny.
The relationship between Dermot and Alice was pretty solid for the most part. I gradually grew to respect Dermot and the fact that he finally stood up for himself. Alice was just kind of there to stir the pot and motivate Dermot to become the man with a plan. There’s also a sequence between the two of them that literally had me LOL-ing. Those kinky kids!
The Bad:
As the title character, Barracuda was nothing more than a f***ed up, crazy dude. Usually Ennis does an amazing job writing and developing his villains. But for the most part, Barracuda was just a psycho with a pain tolerance unlike any I’ve ever seen. I just wanted some more depth to the Barracuda character besides him being so wild.
But I have to admit, it was nice to see Frank take on Barracuda who was a bigger, stronger and slightly crazier version of himself. Frank couldn’t rely on his usual brute force tactics, so when Dermot and Alice trick Barracuda, use brute force to beat him to a pulp, and then toss him overboard, you bet I was scratching my head! There is NO way that the dysfunctional duo of Dermot and Alice could take down Barracuda, especially when we see early on in the book that Frank, the motherf***ing Punisher, nearly dies fighting Barracuda. I just thought it was lazy and slightly ridiculous.
It’s really the second half of the book that just completely fell apart and missed the mark. There’s no other explanation besides a bad case of “lazy writing syndrome”. There were just sequences of dumb, incoherent twists that had very little merit or purpose. For example, without spoiling anything, the sharks killed more people in this book than Frank. We should just swap out the Punisher title and put “Discovery Channel Presents: Shark Week” instead. Although the ending was rushed, it was still fun watching all those sharks have at it…
Conclusion:
Overall, I still enjoyed this book! Sure, the story as a whole is a little weaker, but this is a Punisher tale. Blood. Check! Swearing. Check! Over-the-top action sequences. Double-check! If you like the Punisher, then you’ll like this book. Just be aware that you should leave your brain at the door. The story has some lazy writing which makes the ending feel like a rushed mess.
March 26, 2019
Harika olduğunu düşündüğüm Punisher 5. cildin ardından oldukça iyi bir 6. cilt hikayesi "Barracuda". Belki de Frank Castle'ı en çok zorluyan antikahramanlardan biri ile karşılaşıyor. Modern dünyanın büyük çarkları, plazalardan çıkan kestirme yol peşindeki planlara sokulmuş bir bıçak. Kendine benzer ama tam da zıttında yer alan bir başka dev ile mücadele. Okuduğum son iki cilt hakkaten büyük keyif verdi.
September 28, 2018
In the Beginning
Kitchen Irish
Mother Russia
Up is Down, Black is White
The Slavers
So Frank's just wiped a pack of coke dealers. Except he finds someone in their loo; a beat-up raped former junior exec of an energy company called Dynaco. And this guy's gone whistleblower. Frank's not interested at first, until the exec reveals that the company's going to blackout the entirety of Florida to make the stock prices skyrocket. The problem is that the company head has an ace up his sleeve. A big burly black ace named Barracuda....
After The Slavers, Ennis was going to need something that would keep up his usual slew of good quality work. Did he succeed with Barracuda? Well.....Okay it's not bad. But there are definitely some things wrong with it. So let's go over them.
To start with, the art by Goran Parlov is....okay. It's colourful with a good use of hatching and shading. All the characters are distinct and interesting to look at, especially the women. The first time we get a closeup of Harry Ebbing's wife, we see just how interested Parlov is in women. But some of it just feels....off. To start with, his depiction of Frank feels weird. Up to this point, LaRosa, Fernandez and Braithwaite were all pretty consistent in their depictions of Frank. An older bloke, burly but looking worn down in years. Parlov's depiction makes him look like a more grizzled version of Clark Kent, more something I'd expect from standard Marvel fare. Also while the women are drawn with some very distinct characteristics, the blokes look a little flat by comparison. One other thing, Tim Bradstreet's cover art is usually really good. But his depictions of Barracuda seem a little lacking by comparison. Barracuda is a big burly brick wall. Bradstreet draws him like LL Cool J, although given how Bradstreet draws realistically, Barracuda might have been a stretch for his style.
The writing is decent. It's a lot more light-hearted with more jokes and silly moments. It's the usual things we've come to expect from Ennis although it's somewhat let down by a story where Frank feels almost like he's just wandering through it. Things just seem to happen to him in this story with him just trying to improvise his way through it. I don't know. For some reason I couldn't really connect with the story overall.
Although that might have to do with in part, to do with a lot of the characters. The villains of the piece are your typical corporate scumbags, backstabbing and betraying each other at the drop of a hat, with the company itself modelled after Enron with a little of a cult mixed in for good measure. Harry Ebbing is your usual corporate cliche, Dermot is his Number 2 who switches back and forth between being the Golden Boy to the bloke who shags the boss's wife, to being the butt-monkey of the story and Harry's wife is your typical Lady Macbeth archetype who's main goal is to spread her legs for whoever will get her higher up the corporate ladder.
If there is one thing I could pinpoint as to why this arc didn't do much for me, I'd have to say its because there was no victims. Let me explain. In every arc prior to this, there was some victim of the crimes being committed. A human face that humanized the ugliness of the crimes being committed.
- In the Beginning had Micro, trying to redeem Frank.
- Kitchen Irish had Andy Lorimer, whose father was killed by Peter Cooley.
- Mother Russia had Galina, who had become the guinea-pig for biological warfare.
- Up is Down, Black is White had Frank's dead family, and Frank himself, although that's debateable.
- The Slavers had Viorica.
But in Barracuda, we have no-one. Sure, Dynaco are going to blackout Florida, but we never see the effects of what that might entail. No human face to attach to such a horrible crime. And the one the victim we do have (Si Stephens, the whistleblower), goes turncoat partway through and returns to the company. So we as the reader, have no-one to attach to. Everyone is a miserable bastard. No-one is sympathetic.
But what does bring this story up is the titular man himself, Barracuda. This bloke is RIDICULOUS in all the right ways, in all the ways that only Ennis could do it. He's cheerfully psychotic, a brick shithouse of a man who responds to losing some fingers with indifference. Who takes a knife to the eye with a smile and a laugh. Whose front teeth are gold plated, spelling out FUCK YOU. Whose answer to unpaid money from gangbangers is to stop their car and mow it down with automatic rifle fire. Barracuda is balls to the wall fun in all the wrong ways. I mean, look at this shit!:
First time I seen a shark eat a muthafucka was in Africa. Bull sharks, man. Badass bitches. This tribal chief I was working for, cocksucka liked to throw his enemies off a pier, watch 'em get chewed up in the surf some savage shit, I tell you. But hard to stop watchin' know what I'm saying? 'Course, that ain't the only shit he was into. Check this out: After we took down his brother for him, on accounta some ol' family bullshit, chiefy had the muthafucka cooked for dinner... Turned him into a kinda jambalaya-looking thing, all of the rice an' shit. Whole tribe had to take a taste. Now the dudes I had with me, they tripped the fuck out. So then chiefy says "I guess Americans don't got no balls", some shit like that. Looks right at me when he saying it. I say bitch I got balls. I got balls the size a' yo' muthafucking' head. I got a dick like a M-60 machine gun, now gimme some of that goddamn jambalaya...! Cause I'm Barracuda. Thing most muthafuckas come to realize a little too late, know what I'm saying?
Barracuda (the story arc) overall is kind of a letdown. But then again, considering it came off the heels of The Slavers, anything was going to pale in comparison. It's not a bad story, but it's not a great story either. A lot more lighthearted, a lot more goofy with a lot less substance or sympathetic characters. I could take or leave this one.
Next up, is Man of Stone.
Kitchen Irish
Mother Russia
Up is Down, Black is White
The Slavers
So Frank's just wiped a pack of coke dealers. Except he finds someone in their loo; a beat-up raped former junior exec of an energy company called Dynaco. And this guy's gone whistleblower. Frank's not interested at first, until the exec reveals that the company's going to blackout the entirety of Florida to make the stock prices skyrocket. The problem is that the company head has an ace up his sleeve. A big burly black ace named Barracuda....
After The Slavers, Ennis was going to need something that would keep up his usual slew of good quality work. Did he succeed with Barracuda? Well.....Okay it's not bad. But there are definitely some things wrong with it. So let's go over them.
To start with, the art by Goran Parlov is....okay. It's colourful with a good use of hatching and shading. All the characters are distinct and interesting to look at, especially the women. The first time we get a closeup of Harry Ebbing's wife, we see just how interested Parlov is in women. But some of it just feels....off. To start with, his depiction of Frank feels weird. Up to this point, LaRosa, Fernandez and Braithwaite were all pretty consistent in their depictions of Frank. An older bloke, burly but looking worn down in years. Parlov's depiction makes him look like a more grizzled version of Clark Kent, more something I'd expect from standard Marvel fare. Also while the women are drawn with some very distinct characteristics, the blokes look a little flat by comparison. One other thing, Tim Bradstreet's cover art is usually really good. But his depictions of Barracuda seem a little lacking by comparison. Barracuda is a big burly brick wall. Bradstreet draws him like LL Cool J, although given how Bradstreet draws realistically, Barracuda might have been a stretch for his style.
The writing is decent. It's a lot more light-hearted with more jokes and silly moments. It's the usual things we've come to expect from Ennis although it's somewhat let down by a story where Frank feels almost like he's just wandering through it. Things just seem to happen to him in this story with him just trying to improvise his way through it. I don't know. For some reason I couldn't really connect with the story overall.
Although that might have to do with in part, to do with a lot of the characters. The villains of the piece are your typical corporate scumbags, backstabbing and betraying each other at the drop of a hat, with the company itself modelled after Enron with a little of a cult mixed in for good measure. Harry Ebbing is your usual corporate cliche, Dermot is his Number 2 who switches back and forth between being the Golden Boy to the bloke who shags the boss's wife, to being the butt-monkey of the story and Harry's wife is your typical Lady Macbeth archetype who's main goal is to spread her legs for whoever will get her higher up the corporate ladder.
If there is one thing I could pinpoint as to why this arc didn't do much for me, I'd have to say its because there was no victims. Let me explain. In every arc prior to this, there was some victim of the crimes being committed. A human face that humanized the ugliness of the crimes being committed.
- In the Beginning had Micro, trying to redeem Frank.
- Kitchen Irish had Andy Lorimer, whose father was killed by Peter Cooley.
- Mother Russia had Galina, who had become the guinea-pig for biological warfare.
- Up is Down, Black is White had Frank's dead family, and Frank himself, although that's debateable.
- The Slavers had Viorica.
But in Barracuda, we have no-one. Sure, Dynaco are going to blackout Florida, but we never see the effects of what that might entail. No human face to attach to such a horrible crime. And the one the victim we do have (Si Stephens, the whistleblower), goes turncoat partway through and returns to the company. So we as the reader, have no-one to attach to. Everyone is a miserable bastard. No-one is sympathetic.
But what does bring this story up is the titular man himself, Barracuda. This bloke is RIDICULOUS in all the right ways, in all the ways that only Ennis could do it. He's cheerfully psychotic, a brick shithouse of a man who responds to losing some fingers with indifference. Who takes a knife to the eye with a smile and a laugh. Whose front teeth are gold plated, spelling out FUCK YOU. Whose answer to unpaid money from gangbangers is to stop their car and mow it down with automatic rifle fire. Barracuda is balls to the wall fun in all the wrong ways. I mean, look at this shit!:
First time I seen a shark eat a muthafucka was in Africa. Bull sharks, man. Badass bitches. This tribal chief I was working for, cocksucka liked to throw his enemies off a pier, watch 'em get chewed up in the surf some savage shit, I tell you. But hard to stop watchin' know what I'm saying? 'Course, that ain't the only shit he was into. Check this out: After we took down his brother for him, on accounta some ol' family bullshit, chiefy had the muthafucka cooked for dinner... Turned him into a kinda jambalaya-looking thing, all of the rice an' shit. Whole tribe had to take a taste. Now the dudes I had with me, they tripped the fuck out. So then chiefy says "I guess Americans don't got no balls", some shit like that. Looks right at me when he saying it. I say bitch I got balls. I got balls the size a' yo' muthafucking' head. I got a dick like a M-60 machine gun, now gimme some of that goddamn jambalaya...! Cause I'm Barracuda. Thing most muthafuckas come to realize a little too late, know what I'm saying?
Barracuda (the story arc) overall is kind of a letdown. But then again, considering it came off the heels of The Slavers, anything was going to pale in comparison. It's not a bad story, but it's not a great story either. A lot more lighthearted, a lot more goofy with a lot less substance or sympathetic characters. I could take or leave this one.
Next up, is Man of Stone.
July 8, 2011
Frank learns of a dastardly plot to take out Florida's power supply by an evil corporation called Dynaco in order to raise their stock. But Dynaco know that Frank is out to get them so their CEO hires the brutal Barracuda to take him out. What follows is schlocky violence at its best.
I loved the fight between Frank and Barracuda, just because it's so over the top and, yes, strangely funny, kind of like a very gory episode of Tom & Jerry. Barracuda's a great match for Frank, mostly because they're both so similar. They're both vigilantes with a love of weaponry and both are tough as coffin nails.
The slightly convoluted corporate side story involving double-crossing and seems a bit James M Cain in plot, wasn't that great but hey, the finale more than makes up for it! A fine continuation in this excellent series, Garth Ennis has written another entertaining, bombastic, action comic book. If you liked other books in the series, you'll like this too.
I loved the fight between Frank and Barracuda, just because it's so over the top and, yes, strangely funny, kind of like a very gory episode of Tom & Jerry. Barracuda's a great match for Frank, mostly because they're both so similar. They're both vigilantes with a love of weaponry and both are tough as coffin nails.
The slightly convoluted corporate side story involving double-crossing and seems a bit James M Cain in plot, wasn't that great but hey, the finale more than makes up for it! A fine continuation in this excellent series, Garth Ennis has written another entertaining, bombastic, action comic book. If you liked other books in the series, you'll like this too.
September 3, 2010
FINALLY! Frank found another kid tough enouth to play with him in his psycho sandbox! Ellis finally delivered the antagonist character we have wanted for for years, maybe decades.
December 20, 2018
Frank Castle must prevent an energy tycoon from cutting off power to the people of Florida. Ebbing hires an assassin known as Baraccuda to track down and kill Castle. Meanwhile, Ebbing's empire is falling apart from the inside. Garth Ennis explores the violent world of The Punisher in this series.
The first thing I would say about Ennis's take on Frank Castle is very violent. Which is true to the story of Marvel's antihero. Ennis characters are very grey. It's like an episode of The Shield where good people do bad things and bad people do good things. If you're looking for a comic that is purely black and white. Ennis is not your man.
Overall, Ennis is a great place to start if you want to explore the world of Frank Castle. I believe Thomas Jane's portrayal of Castle is based on Ennis's work. The action and dialogue are great and this a five-star comic.
twitter: daplme2016
April 15, 2017
Apesar da fase histórica do Ennis nas páginas do Justiceiro (Punisher), eu não aprecio muito as histórias mais bem humoradas... No caso de "Barracuda", o que me atraiu mais foi a arte do Parlov. Um excelente trabalho visual que combinou muito bem com uma história do Justiceiro!
July 24, 2016
To be fair, anything after "The Slavers" was bound to be a disappointment. "Barracuda" certainly has some things going for it, but in the grand scope of the Garth Ennis run this was one of his less memorable outings.
Frank stumbles upon a Wall Street broker who was left in the "care" of a band of drug dealers as punishment for threatening to blow the whistle on a crooked scheme being hatched by mega energy conglomerate Dynaco, who plans to black out the power all over Florida as a way of making their own profit shares skyrocket. What should be a simple matter of grabbing an executive and forcing him to spill the beans turns into one of The Punisher's most harrowing encounters, as the head of Dynaco has enlisted the services of one seriously bad-ass gangster/hitman named Barracuda, who proves to be more than a match for Frank Castle...
All in all, it was hard to get engaged by "Barracuda's" plot. As much as I hate corporate America (and I admire the way Mr. Ennis indulges some guilty pleasures with how Frank dispatches of so many corporate criminals), after dealing with the utterly vile Serbian mercenaries from "The Slavers" a bunch of corrupt businessmen seem almost banal by comparison. Most of the secondary characters in the story aren't particularly interesting: power and money-grubbing backstabbers, over-privileged and over-indulged, self-centered narcissists whose only concern is securing their own bank accounts (i.e. your prototypical Corporate American scumbag). The subplots of these characters figuring out ways to (in some cases quite literally) screw each other get old quickly, and though their master plan is certainly hiss worthy it's far from diabolic. Honestly, these guys seem beneath Frank's time.
But not Barracuda, and this series gets 3 stars for him alone. A giant of a man who at first appears to be little more than a stereotypical street thug, Barracuda is as terrifying a force of nature as The Punisher. He's damn-near indestructible, extremely skilled at killing people, and in spite of all his profanity-laced dialogue and base behavior quickly proves himself to be extremely canny and intelligent. Barracuda is probably the closest things Frank has faced to an equal and opposite in this comic series, and he's easily one of Garth Ennis' most memorable and fascinating villains. It's just too bad Ennis couldn't cook up a better story to feature him in (though he gets one later on, in "The Long, Cold Dark").
Certainly not as good as most of Ennis' other Punisher work, but still a terrific read, and recommended on the basis of its titular villain alone.
Frank stumbles upon a Wall Street broker who was left in the "care" of a band of drug dealers as punishment for threatening to blow the whistle on a crooked scheme being hatched by mega energy conglomerate Dynaco, who plans to black out the power all over Florida as a way of making their own profit shares skyrocket. What should be a simple matter of grabbing an executive and forcing him to spill the beans turns into one of The Punisher's most harrowing encounters, as the head of Dynaco has enlisted the services of one seriously bad-ass gangster/hitman named Barracuda, who proves to be more than a match for Frank Castle...
All in all, it was hard to get engaged by "Barracuda's" plot. As much as I hate corporate America (and I admire the way Mr. Ennis indulges some guilty pleasures with how Frank dispatches of so many corporate criminals), after dealing with the utterly vile Serbian mercenaries from "The Slavers" a bunch of corrupt businessmen seem almost banal by comparison. Most of the secondary characters in the story aren't particularly interesting: power and money-grubbing backstabbers, over-privileged and over-indulged, self-centered narcissists whose only concern is securing their own bank accounts (i.e. your prototypical Corporate American scumbag). The subplots of these characters figuring out ways to (in some cases quite literally) screw each other get old quickly, and though their master plan is certainly hiss worthy it's far from diabolic. Honestly, these guys seem beneath Frank's time.
But not Barracuda, and this series gets 3 stars for him alone. A giant of a man who at first appears to be little more than a stereotypical street thug, Barracuda is as terrifying a force of nature as The Punisher. He's damn-near indestructible, extremely skilled at killing people, and in spite of all his profanity-laced dialogue and base behavior quickly proves himself to be extremely canny and intelligent. Barracuda is probably the closest things Frank has faced to an equal and opposite in this comic series, and he's easily one of Garth Ennis' most memorable and fascinating villains. It's just too bad Ennis couldn't cook up a better story to feature him in (though he gets one later on, in "The Long, Cold Dark").
Certainly not as good as most of Ennis' other Punisher work, but still a terrific read, and recommended on the basis of its titular villain alone.
January 21, 2018
ABSOLUTE RATING: {3+/5 stars}
STANDARDIZED RATING: <3/5 stars>
STANDARDIZED RATING: <3/5 stars>
April 13, 2020
Są takie tytuły, gdzie przy ocenie człowiek zwyczajnie się waha. Tu miałem chybotanie pomiędzy 4 a 5, ale na Boga, Ennis dalej kontynuuje ten swój bezpardonowy run, w którym nie bierze jeńców, a poległych czeka tak makabryczny koniec, że co niektórym weganom koszmary nadal będą się śnić po nocach.
Byli mafiozi, byli Rosjanie, byli handlarze żywym towarem, trzeba było dalsze story czymś urozmaicić. Wybór padł na dość nietypowego przeciwnika. Firmę, która ma zamiar wzbogacić się na przekręcie z dostawą prądu na południowo-wschodnie wybrzeże USA. Stawką są miliony dolarów i ludzkie życia. Frank nie może pozwolić sobie na takie coś, choć początkowo całą sprawą nie był zainteresowany.
A zaczyna się od nalotu na kryjówkę ćpunów, gdzie Castle odkrywa nietypowego więźnia. Maklera, którego dilerzy przerobili na męską prostytutkę i używali wedle swojej woli. Punisher nie widzi w całej sprawie nic ciekawego, dopóki nie zauważa kogoś na miejscu zajścia. Sprawa jest rozwojowa i prowadzi do wpływowej firmy, Dynaco i prezesa tej korporacji, Harrego Ebbinga.
To nie podstarzały milioner gra tu pierwsze fabularne skrzypce, a niejaki Dermot, zastępca i pomagier szefa oraz śliczna żonka prezesa Alice, z którą ten ma romans i parzy się dosłownie na każdym rogu. Ich knowania co do przejęcia całego interesu to clue programu, który zakończy się na olbrzymiej imprezie na jakimś jachcie. Ennis nie byłby sobą, gdyby nie wprowadził do biegu kolejnej postrzelonej postaci, bo Ci nam tutaj zaprezentowani to goście w graniakach, którzy tylko zlecają co ma zrobić pewien psychol. Tytułowy Barracuda.
To gość wyglądający jak góra mięśni, przejawiający psychopatyczne zapędy i posiadający swoiste poczucie humoru, przez co wyróżnia się nawet na tle wcześniejszych czarnych charakterów. Stanowi on rzeczywiste wyzwanie dla Franka, któremu przyjdzie porządnie tutaj rozprostować kilka kości. Barracuda nieraz Was zaskoczy, jako dość inteligenty gość, który gra tak, aby mu pasowało i pójdzie na układ tam, gdzie widzi z tego korzyść.
Finał to istna perełka i podsumowanie całości, jak zwykle w wykonaniu Ennisa bardzo satysfakcjonujące. Tu nikt nie zazna happy endu, ale i Frank jest osobą, która nigdy nie ma spokoju, przy czym bardziej niż w innych fragmentach, miałem wrażenie że było on... postacią drugoplanową. Niemniej główny plot jest soczysty i wypada aby się z nim zaznajomić.
Fernandeza z dobry skutkiem zastąpił tutaj Parlov. Jego postacie nie są już tak pokraczne i nie podkreślają zgnilizny tego świata. Przeciwnie, postać Alice jest piękna, choć duszę ma już przeżartą pieniędzmi i seksem. Wrażenie zrobiły na mnie też sceny walk. Są krwiste, jak przystało na serię, ale dynamiczne i chciałbym więcej Parlova dalej, oczywiście mimo szacunku do "brudu" jaki prezentuje Fernandez.
Nie pozostaje mi nic innego jak polecić ten tom. Oczekujecie dobrej fabuły, która dostarczy Wam też odrobiny brudu i krwi? Seria MAX to najlepszy wybór. Brać w "ciemno". 4.5/5
Byli mafiozi, byli Rosjanie, byli handlarze żywym towarem, trzeba było dalsze story czymś urozmaicić. Wybór padł na dość nietypowego przeciwnika. Firmę, która ma zamiar wzbogacić się na przekręcie z dostawą prądu na południowo-wschodnie wybrzeże USA. Stawką są miliony dolarów i ludzkie życia. Frank nie może pozwolić sobie na takie coś, choć początkowo całą sprawą nie był zainteresowany.
A zaczyna się od nalotu na kryjówkę ćpunów, gdzie Castle odkrywa nietypowego więźnia. Maklera, którego dilerzy przerobili na męską prostytutkę i używali wedle swojej woli. Punisher nie widzi w całej sprawie nic ciekawego, dopóki nie zauważa kogoś na miejscu zajścia. Sprawa jest rozwojowa i prowadzi do wpływowej firmy, Dynaco i prezesa tej korporacji, Harrego Ebbinga.
To nie podstarzały milioner gra tu pierwsze fabularne skrzypce, a niejaki Dermot, zastępca i pomagier szefa oraz śliczna żonka prezesa Alice, z którą ten ma romans i parzy się dosłownie na każdym rogu. Ich knowania co do przejęcia całego interesu to clue programu, który zakończy się na olbrzymiej imprezie na jakimś jachcie. Ennis nie byłby sobą, gdyby nie wprowadził do biegu kolejnej postrzelonej postaci, bo Ci nam tutaj zaprezentowani to goście w graniakach, którzy tylko zlecają co ma zrobić pewien psychol. Tytułowy Barracuda.
To gość wyglądający jak góra mięśni, przejawiający psychopatyczne zapędy i posiadający swoiste poczucie humoru, przez co wyróżnia się nawet na tle wcześniejszych czarnych charakterów. Stanowi on rzeczywiste wyzwanie dla Franka, któremu przyjdzie porządnie tutaj rozprostować kilka kości. Barracuda nieraz Was zaskoczy, jako dość inteligenty gość, który gra tak, aby mu pasowało i pójdzie na układ tam, gdzie widzi z tego korzyść.
Finał to istna perełka i podsumowanie całości, jak zwykle w wykonaniu Ennisa bardzo satysfakcjonujące. Tu nikt nie zazna happy endu, ale i Frank jest osobą, która nigdy nie ma spokoju, przy czym bardziej niż w innych fragmentach, miałem wrażenie że było on... postacią drugoplanową. Niemniej główny plot jest soczysty i wypada aby się z nim zaznajomić.
Fernandeza z dobry skutkiem zastąpił tutaj Parlov. Jego postacie nie są już tak pokraczne i nie podkreślają zgnilizny tego świata. Przeciwnie, postać Alice jest piękna, choć duszę ma już przeżartą pieniędzmi i seksem. Wrażenie zrobiły na mnie też sceny walk. Są krwiste, jak przystało na serię, ale dynamiczne i chciałbym więcej Parlova dalej, oczywiście mimo szacunku do "brudu" jaki prezentuje Fernandez.
Nie pozostaje mi nic innego jak polecić ten tom. Oczekujecie dobrej fabuły, która dostarczy Wam też odrobiny brudu i krwi? Seria MAX to najlepszy wybór. Brać w "ciemno". 4.5/5
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 7, 2025
Pensé que este tomo me iba a gustar menos que otros más serios de la etapa de Ennis, pero para mi sorpresa, me ha entretenido muchísimo y el choque entre Punisher y Barracuda es memorable. No me extraña que quedase como uno de los villanos más destacados y que lo recuperasen en otros números, porque da mucho juego con su insensibilidad, su falta de honor y sus reacciones morbosas. La historia de fondo se mete esta vez con la avaricia de los niñatos de Wall Street y con los estafadores que actúan prácticamente igual que algunos mafiosos italianos. La crítica no es tan social y el mensaje no es tan concienciador como en 'Los esclavistas', pero el autor lo compensa con grandes dosis de humor negro y con unas cuantas escenas de acción que son de 10. Me encantaría ver en una película protagonizada por actores reales la pelea que aparece en este número con Barracuda en el muelle, porque es una pasada digna de Jungla de Cristal.
ENGLISH
I thought I'd enjoy this volume less than other, more serious ones from Ennis's run, but to my surprise, I found it incredibly entertaining, and the clash between the Punisher and Barracuda is memorable. It doesn't surprise me that he remains one of the most prominent villains and that they brought him back in other issues, because his insensitivity, lack of honor, and morbid reactions are so compelling. The backstory this time delves into the greed of Wall Street brats and the swindlers who act practically like some Italian mobsters. The critique isn't as socially charged, and the message isn't as soul-searching as in "The Slavers," but the author makes up for it with large doses of dark humor and a few action scenes that are 10/10. I'd love to see the fight with Barracuda on the dock in this issue made into a live-action film, because it's worthy of "Die Hard".
ENGLISH
I thought I'd enjoy this volume less than other, more serious ones from Ennis's run, but to my surprise, I found it incredibly entertaining, and the clash between the Punisher and Barracuda is memorable. It doesn't surprise me that he remains one of the most prominent villains and that they brought him back in other issues, because his insensitivity, lack of honor, and morbid reactions are so compelling. The backstory this time delves into the greed of Wall Street brats and the swindlers who act practically like some Italian mobsters. The critique isn't as socially charged, and the message isn't as soul-searching as in "The Slavers," but the author makes up for it with large doses of dark humor and a few action scenes that are 10/10. I'd love to see the fight with Barracuda on the dock in this issue made into a live-action film, because it's worthy of "Die Hard".
August 4, 2021
This was a crazy, crazy ride. While hunting down some drug dealers Punisher comes across a corporate conspiracy that could affect the lives of thousands. Not interested much into this issue Frank will find himself drawn into conflict with gun for hire (and outright psychotic) Barracuda.
I have to say this was the first time that I truly was worried (I mean as worried as one can be when it comes to comic heroes) how will Frank manage to get out of this predicament alive. For the first time we see an enemy that is as crazy and as strong as Punisher and ready to grind him into dust.
Story was pretty good, especially Frank's hesitation to even start with the case, but thing that pokes the reader right into eye is "hard" talk. Everything evolves around sex, drugs and so many F words that it got tiresome after a while. I dont think that even Tarantino would overuse the used phrases in this way.
Art is very good, artist truly managed to keep the atmosphere dark and gloom. It is bloody (as expected) and maybe scene or two that could have been skipped, but hey I guess gore sells.
Recommended to fans of Frank's.
I have to say this was the first time that I truly was worried (I mean as worried as one can be when it comes to comic heroes) how will Frank manage to get out of this predicament alive. For the first time we see an enemy that is as crazy and as strong as Punisher and ready to grind him into dust.
Story was pretty good, especially Frank's hesitation to even start with the case, but thing that pokes the reader right into eye is "hard" talk. Everything evolves around sex, drugs and so many F words that it got tiresome after a while. I dont think that even Tarantino would overuse the used phrases in this way.
Art is very good, artist truly managed to keep the atmosphere dark and gloom. It is bloody (as expected) and maybe scene or two that could have been skipped, but hey I guess gore sells.
Recommended to fans of Frank's.
February 20, 2024
This was great for two reasons. Firstly, for something a little bit different, we get to see Frank go after some white collar criminals. Frank goes after an evil energy corporation who are planning to mess with the Florida power supply in order to increase their stocks.
Secondly this volume introduces Barracuda, who is a hitman hired by the corporation. I think Barracuda is my favourite villain introduced in this series so far. He's an insane mercenary who is just as crazy and competent as Frank. He's one of those characters that are so over the top that its hilarious. It's Ennis at his best and holding nothing back.
Secondly this volume introduces Barracuda, who is a hitman hired by the corporation. I think Barracuda is my favourite villain introduced in this series so far. He's an insane mercenary who is just as crazy and competent as Frank. He's one of those characters that are so over the top that its hilarious. It's Ennis at his best and holding nothing back.
March 8, 2018
Of the Punisher Max series, this was the first story I've read where Frank Castle targets white businessmen instead of gangsters who happen to be persons of colour. It was a welcome change to show that Castle can battle white collar crime like blue collar crime. Barracuda was a formidable villain. The violence against the principle female character was pretty gross, though, as was the depiction of her as a sex addict, being the only female. Those details brought down a solid three star book to two for me.
Two Stars
March, 2018
Two Stars
March, 2018
January 13, 2025
Barracuda is first great villain of the series to act as Punisher’s foil. Having him face against someone he sees as more of an equal added to the building stakes of the series.
-Story was solid, but def a little convoluted.
-Was interesting to see him confront white collar crime and see him handle it the exact same way lmao.
-Some of the sexual violence was def a bit unnecessary...I know that’s this overly dark world, but still.
-Awesome fight scenes.
-Story was solid, but def a little convoluted.
-Was interesting to see him confront white collar crime and see him handle it the exact same way lmao.
-Some of the sexual violence was def a bit unnecessary...I know that’s this overly dark world, but still.
-Awesome fight scenes.
August 26, 2025
This was a little bit over the top.
Garth Ennis always wants to add things for shock value and I think Barracuda is one of them.
The plot could have been explored a little better. There is a conspiration to raise an energy company's value. This is a great premise, but execution was not on par with the previous volumes.
Barracuda is just a weird character honestly. At first he seems just like a brute and just that, but then he seems intelligent? but speaks like he is not? It's just weird and I did not buy it.
Anyway, it was a decent storyline but clearly not on the level of the rest of this series.
Garth Ennis always wants to add things for shock value and I think Barracuda is one of them.
The plot could have been explored a little better. There is a conspiration to raise an energy company's value. This is a great premise, but execution was not on par with the previous volumes.
Barracuda is just a weird character honestly. At first he seems just like a brute and just that, but then he seems intelligent? but speaks like he is not? It's just weird and I did not buy it.
Anyway, it was a decent storyline but clearly not on the level of the rest of this series.
September 25, 2017
Barracuda is one of the most successful attempts to create a worthy foe for Frank Castle in recent memory, but this volume is a comparative letdown when held up against the rest of Ennis' work on the character. The story simply has no weight to it and ultimately feels inconsequential as a result. A fun read, to be sure, but not much more.
June 20, 2020
The Punisher MAX, Vol 6 introduces one of the Punisher's greatest adversaries in the form of the seven foot, three-hundred pound mercenary called Barracuda. The late, great Michael Clarke Duncan would have smashed this role if it had been turned into a movie or series. Artist Goran Polav crushes the visuals and Ennis delivers another masterful crime thriller.
August 14, 2025
I read the Barracuda sequel series before reading this & the difference between Barracuda in his solo series vs how he is in this is hilarious. This was ok, it felt like a random filler episode but at the very least Barracuda was taken half seriously 😂 which is to say not at all but better than in his solo series 😂. I didn't expect much & I got even less. 🤷🏿♂️
September 10, 2019
Punisher sa rozhodne isť po krku veľkej korporártnej firme.
Zvláštny námet, no funguje skvelo. Vnútorný boj o moc, Frankov popiči súper Barracuda, plno krvy a končatín, saaakra Garth Ennis sa sakra ide v tejto sérií
Zvláštny námet, no funguje skvelo. Vnútorný boj o moc, Frankov popiči súper Barracuda, plno krvy a končatín, saaakra Garth Ennis sa sakra ide v tejto sérií
July 1, 2020
One of the more discussed Punisher villians Barracuda tangles with the Punisher and almost kills him. That is most of the plot and by the end the Punisher just plants a bomb on the main bad guys because he's feeling injured. Didn't find it the most satisfying of the punisher MAX series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 28, 2024
This is the Punisher stuff I love. Frank Castle’s not just a monstrous killing machine, he’s a master strategist, and the Barracuda story arc is a perfect demonstration of that. Plus Barracuda is just such a terrifying, memorable villain.
August 10, 2025
Y de nuevo en este número aparece la vena más cachonda de Ennis con uno de esos personajes desproporcionados y sin mesura, Barracuda.
Un único arco que bue, prometía más de lo que da.
Eso sí, el arte de Parlov me ha gustado.
Un único arco que bue, prometía más de lo que da.
Eso sí, el arte de Parlov me ha gustado.
May 17, 2017
A bit cheesy and cliched at times, but still overall a solid Punisher tale from the always excellent Garth Ennis.
September 6, 2017
The barracuda is a great character and hopefully a nemesis for the punisher moving forward
February 16, 2019
barracuda fodastico na minha opinião, um rival a altura de fabricio castro
June 23, 2019
Brilliant! 👏👏
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